Canberra Raiders fans eagerly anticipating Jack Wighton's rugby league future - be warned.
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Wighton is more anxious about getting the Canberra Raiders' season back on track than he is about securing a new NRL contract, and he wants to take his time to work out what comes next.
That's the message from Wighton's adviser Matt Rose as speculation continues over which club the Raiders five-eighth will land at.
Wighton's management says the Dally M winner is "not in a rush" to make any decision, with no progress made since he activated the option in his contract last week to explore offers elsewhere for 2024 and beyond.
While there has been interest from other clubs, Wighton is yet to officially meet with anyone, and the $4.4 million, four-year extension offered by the Raiders has given the playmaker plenty to think about.
Currently serving the final week of a two-game suspension, Wighton's team said he was more motivated to get back out on the footy field than worry about contract talks, especially as the Raiders have only one win on the board.
"Jack's focus is to just play footy and win games for the Raiders," Rose told The Canberra Times.
"That's his sole focus and we don't want to be pressured or have it played out in the media.
"For us, it's about Jack making the right decision, and it's an important one."
That means desperate Green Machine fans will have to be patient.
Wighton could even wait until the end of the season to make a decision on what will likely be his last NRL contract.
Coach Ricky Stuart, club boss Don Furner and Wighton's teammates have all expressed their hopes the 30-year-old re-signs with the Raiders.
In the past he said he wanted to be a one-club player, having come up through the grades with the Raiders since he was recruited from Orange as a teenager.
Other clubs like the Dolphins and Tigers could rival the Raiders' multi-million-dollar proposal, Wayne Bennett asserting Wighton is worth over $1 million per season, and Wests reportedly offering $1.3 million-a-year.
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